Ammonia Spike

[TylerFerretLord]

I tested my water as I was planning on getting a snail tomorrow, and I have 4ppm of ammonia! No Nitrite, and I didn't test for nitrate, ph was 7.6-8

I'm about to do a 50% water change(and another one in the morning) and I put some zeolite in the filter to remove as much ammonia as possible. I don't want my shrimp dying.

The fish are showing signs of distress, the guppies are at the surface and the platy is very sedate, while the shrimp are hiding. Mild red/pinkness of the gills, no outward symptoms of disease yet.

I'm thinking a good course of action would be two 50% changes daily until I can get down to the LFS and buy a packet of Bio-Spira?

Ammonia: 4ppm
Nitrite: 0
Ph: 7.6-8
Temp: 80F
Stock: 2 guppies, 1 platy, 10 ghost shrimp

EDIT: Also, it's not a bad kit doing this. I tested against the tap water. Well, off to do some water changing.

 

[Corleone]

I had the same thing happen recently, and proceeded pretty much as you're planning (30% changes twice a day, tested for ammonia/nitrate/nitrite with each change), and the ammonia came down in a few days without adding anything to the tank.

Did you account for all of your shrimp? I used to have ghost shrimp, and any time one died, the ammonia would jump.

 

[5teady_2012]

How big is the tank?

When i had a problem with ammonia, i did a 50% change and tested, if ammonia still present, i did it again until the ammonia went down, then i did a 50% waterchange for 5 days after that and ever since the tank has been great...

Doing many changes in one day or over the course of a few days wont be a bad thing, it can only better your problem.

 

[TylerFerretLord]

I did a 50% change last night, but pretty much collapsed into bed afterwards. When I woke up I tested the water- it was at 1ppm so I did another 50%. Considering the zeolite, it should be down lower in a little while.

I'm running out to get the Bio-Spira now. Hopefully It will still be good.

 

[TylerFerretLord]

Well, I got back a few hours ago.

My search for Bio-Spira proved fruitless. We went to a different LFS as we had to go to a bookstore to get me something for some of my classes. I got some Prime instead as it makes ammonia less toxic from what I've read on here.

When I got back the shrimp were all dead and so was the platy. Ammonia was .5ppm, so I did a 50% change and changed the zeolite. We'll be going out to the regular LFS that I know has a supply of Bio-spira in the morning, after my teacher leaves.

Shrimp and platy

 

[TylerFerretLord]

We were able to get the Bio-Spira, but I misplaced the second reagent for the ammonia kit, so I don't know if it worked yet.

 

[TylerFerretLord]

Well, I found it. Ammonia is a .25 or lower, just slightly green.

I'll keep testing daily, hopefully it will go down. and prove the bio-spira worked.

 

[bmxweeman]

im also having bad problems with ammonia after i finally figured out that my test kit was giving me false results and that ammonia was killing my fish, i did a 75% water change and tested the water and there was still ammonia, i bought ammo-chips and tried to cram them in somewhere in my fluval2 and tested again after work today and my ammonia is still extremely high, atleast 4.0ppm, and i cant understand it, i usually do a 25% water change every 2 weeks, but i have been doing one every week recently as my fish have been dying off. i dont know what else to try or even what started this spike in the first place

 

[bmxweeman]

its getting worse, i did another water change and it has diluted the smmonis s bit but my molly has fluffy fins and looks at deaths door and my betta and clown loaches have cloudy eyes, i dont get where all the ammonia is coming from